Imagine that you are running a race in Formula 1. You are the Sergio Pérez of business, okay? and you are going at full speed leading the track. Suddenly that dangerous curve comes… you take it with confidence but something goes wrong and you feel the tires vibrate. You regain control and lose it again. Fear takes over you for a microsecond but that's enough, and in a blink you're almost off the track. Your reflexes react and you brake hard.
One more blink and 3, 4, 10 cars pass you… you know you lost your place in the race and there's nothing you can do. The car is in perfect condition but in such a competitive race you know that the odds of recovering your position decrease every second that passes. Your mind empties and only has room for one question: What do I do? Do I abandon the race? or Do I resume tripling my efforts and giving my best? Think about it for a second. What would you do?
This is how business works for me
Almost always when I'm working with a group and I ask this question, they answer me: "Of course I would resume tripling my efforts. After all, you already have the NO, right?" And honestly, I would say the same thing. But for some reason, what is so obvious in the world of ideas… doesn't happen the same way in the real world of business.
I greet with pleasure those who don't know me, I am Gerardo Betancourt, I am Director of Leaderlix, the School of Public Speaking and Leadership. My pride is our client list, which includes companies such as: Volkswagen, Walmart, Danone, Pfizer and many others from the Fortune 500 list.
This post is going to be a challenging post, which if you read carefully is going to take you out of your comfort zone, it's going to shake you up and maybe even make you take one or two life decisions. Doing business is not difficult, or at least it shouldn't be…
Business. When someone does well, we all do well
- You start a company with an innovative product or service that adds value to your customers, so your customers do well.
- You grow and have to hire, you provide employment, so your employees do well.
- You raise the bar for competition, so your competitors have to innovate and your competitors do well.
- You circulate the economy, so the state does well.
- You grow economically so you and your family do well.
And if everyone benefits from your business doing well… Why can starting a business sometimes feel like swimming against the current? Why would it seem that all the forces of society, nature and the universe conspire for you not to succeed?
Uncomfortable truths
I notice that in our country it is extremely difficult and rare to create a business that in a single generation achieves true business success. Most of the businesses that are true catalysts for progress and wealth are businesses of 2 and up to 3 generations, or sometimes more.
I also see that many, many times those businesses of 2 or 3 generations started and took off when a person (could be an uncle, a grandfather, or whoever) made an agreement (sometimes of questionable ethics) with some person within some level of government. And it's not that it was necessarily illegal… strange, let's say. That type of agreement that you would prefer to be kept at a level of discretion.
The story goes something like this: Uncle Pepe starts a straw company… and sells, well, some straws… Until one day, someone connects him with Pancho, who works in purchasing at CFE, or IMSS or PEMEX, or CONASUPO… Pepe and Pancho come to an agreement under the table… and Pepe offers Pancho a commission or symbolic reward, nothing ostentatious… as a sign of appreciation, where for every ton of straws that Pepe sells to PEMEX, Pancho will receive his fair share. And this is how the story of Straws SA de CV begins. (I suppose it's clear, but just in case, it's just an example, I'm not referring to any particular company).
That's not the story they tell you about business…
The story you're told is about how Pepe got up every day at 5 in the morning for 125 years, visited the plant, ensured maximum quality in his straws, and because of his great intelligence and tenacity he managed to conquer the market, one straw at a time, all of this, raising the name of Mexico high.
Think about it for a moment. Do you know anyone who has lived a similar story?
Tell me something… How many really successful entrepreneurs do you know who have grown gradually and organically with the strength of the market without having had a key relationship? I know some, but I know more who follow Pepe's story.
Logically this doesn't apply in all cases, this is not a post of "the rich steal from us" or a complaint about corruption… In fact I believe there is a different way of doing things.
I do believe that in our country it is possible to do prosperous and honest business, without being outside the law, without giving bribes or payoffs and without necessarily being well connected. Only with the power of innovation and imagination.
Hey Gerardo, but How?
In a moment I'm going to make you a proposal that you alone can take if you're interested without needing to hire any coach. It's a personal decision.
Reasons why those single-generation businesses don't quite take off
1.- They're too busy learning to do Facebook Ads, or Google Ads or SEO…
2.- They spend too much time making websites, logos, funnels, landing pages…
3.- They invest a lot of energy in content marketing, TikToks, houseclubs, stories, YouTube videos…
4.- They spend their time taking online courses on shark mentality…
5.- They spend their time hunting the latest book with those "Secrets" that now will finally allow them to get out of the quicksand they're in…
6.- They spend too much money on software or technological automation tools…
7.- They are totally focused on building a "personal brand"…
8.- They spend what little the business leaves them on paying for business coaching…
9.- Perhaps the most common mistake many make is deciding to drop out of the race… because although many say they would stay and triple their efforts, the truth is that most entrepreneurs at the first curve resign and give up… and think: "My business no longer works, now I have to start a new business, I know, I'm going to start an ecommerce selling some incredible t-shirts but I've never sold t-shirts before so I have no idea how to do it".
One more curve in the race
COVID-19 was a good shake, sure, a sharp and tight curve, but stop blaming the pandemic for your business not working… if your business stopped working during the pandemic it's because it wasn't working before. The fault is not with the track, we all run the same track; nor with the curve, we all go through the same curves; nor with the market, we're all in the same market…
In the same way the fault is not COVID's, it's yours for dedicating time to all these things that matter zero, while dedicating zero time to the things that truly matter. I have a proposal and I have an idea… What I want to do is share with you what for me are 2 truths, practically absolute, and that have such simplicity and such compelling elegance that you will be amazed.
The "Pareto Principle" and the "Scrambled Eggs Principle"
My first proposal, which you may already know, is this principle that clearly explains to us that 20% of the results come from 80% of the actions and vice versa.
I want you to ask yourself again, Why do you continue in your business dedicating 80% of your time and resources to what gives you 20% of your results?
The second one you don't know yet, because I invented it… I think, but I don't remember copying it from anyone, so until someone claims it, it will be called The Scrambled Eggs Principle.
It goes like this: If it's difficult it's because you're doing it wrong.
Because there's always an easier way to do things. For example, think about this morning when you were making yourself scrambled eggs for breakfast. Have you noticed that at least 10% of your scrambled eggs stick to the pan? Isn't there a better way to do it? Easier?
Well what do you think? There is, and here's today's lifehack, also free. Next time you're going to make scrambled eggs, don't break them in the pan, break them and empty them onto a separate plate… there you scramble them with a fork, like you were going to make frosting. And once they're completely scrambled, add a little oil or butter to the pan and pour them in… wait for them to take shape and then you start scrambling them.
The Scrambled Eggs Principle allows us to know that if in your business there is something that is not going well and easily on the first try, it's because you're doing it wrong, because there are other people for whom the same thing comes easily, right? And this applies (I think) to everything or almost everything in your business.
The Traction System
These two notions, for me are like a mantra, they are my temple, my safe house. Whenever I have a doubt or don't know how to solve a problem I return to these two principles and I have the confidence that the decision I make under the protection of that temple is going to be a good decision.
So, this is what's going to happen. Because if you've read this far truly my respect and my deepest gratitude. I will share a model I made called Traction System, and it has the objective of helping you identify what you're doing wrong in your business and what you should focus on.
That's why I'm looking for all those entrepreneurs who find themselves in this situation:
- First, that they have a business and need to get unstuck somehow.
- Second, this is for businesses with fewer than 20 employees. If you don't have employees that's perfect, if you have 5, 10 or 15 it also applies to you.
- Third, that they are trying to understand how to adapt to the "new market" or the "new era".
When?
We are going to meet on Zoom, on Tuesday, December 14, with cameras on. Not on the phone, not in the car, not at the café. Cameras on and full attention. I'm going to show you the Traction System and help you apply it to your business, so you decide if you like it or not. We're going to be together between 1 and 2 hours, and this is not a webinar where you can hide in anonymity… if you raise your hand it's because you're going to participate… if not, please don't raise your hand.
I'm not going to sell you anything, this is not business for me… but what I am going to do is at the end, optionally I'm going to ask you for a written testimonial. Sounds fair? This is my promise to you. I give you my word that in that session you will make at least one decision that will change the course of your business. Do you like the idea?
Complete this form to follow up on your interest in this upcoming session. See you in December!